Tag: Media – Farmed animal welfare

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Big win for farmed animals in the UK

Export of live animals banned

Legislation ending exports of livestock for slaughter and fattening receives Royal Assent

Congratulations to animal allies across the pond! After years of advocacy, a law was passed in the UK banning the live export of farmed animals like cows, pigs, sheep, horses, and goats for slaughter and fattening abroad.

Farmed animals suffer greatly on long transport journeys, enduring long periods of time without food, water, or rest. They are packed together in overcrowded conditions and can face extreme temperatures, leading to injuries, illness, and deaths.

The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act in the UK was met with cross party support and passed into law on May 20 when it received Royal Assent. This new legislation marks enormous progress for the well-being of farmed animals.

Here in Canada, a similar bill to ban the live export of horses for slaughter is currently in Senate after being passed at the House of Commons.

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We need a rethink of Big Poultry to stop avian flu

Close up photo of a crowded group of broiler chickens with missing feathers in a factory farm

We need a rethink of Big Poultry to stop avian flu

Experts suggest commercial poultry, especially factory-farmed and crowded in barns, is one culprit behind the rapid spread of avian flu. But one response by the Canadian government is to compensate farmers – paying the industry millions for bird slaughters – without requiring improved biosecurity against potential pathogens. Perhaps we should question this approach.

In this piece published in Canada’s National Observer, Eleanor Boyle discusses the avian flu outbreak and the steps needed to truly address it.

Boyle notes that more than 94% of cases where bird flu viruses mutated from low-pathogenic to high-pathogenic over the past 55 years have been in commercial poultry.

“Experts suggest commercial poultry, especially factory-farmed and crowded in barns, is one culprit behind the disease’s rapid spread. But one response by the Canadian government is to compensate farmers — paying the industry millions for bird slaughters — without requiring improved biosecurity against potential pathogens.”

British Columbia is being hit particularly hard by the outbreak. The density of poultry farms in B.C. makes the province a hub for avian flu in Canada, leading to a disproportionate number of bird culls on B.C. farms.

“Avian flu is yet more evidence for moving toward smaller-scale agriculture that’s also more plant-based,” Boyle says.

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Animal organizations get authorization for private prosecution in live horse export case

Photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

Photo: Canadian Horse Defence Coalition

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/horse-export-court-case-1.7127667

In what’s believed to be a first in relation to farmed animals, a court has given animal welfare advocates the green light to privately prosecute a live-horse exporter in Manitoba after three horses collapsed during a trip that exceeded the 28-hour maximum journey without food, water, or rest.

“We have so few laws on the books to protect these horses,” said Kaitlyn Mitchell, director of legal advocacy with the non-profit group Animal Justice.

“The least that we can do is to make sure that what few laws we do have are actually enforced. Otherwise, what good are they?”

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How to prevent further bird flu outbreaks in B.C.

A flock of chickens in search of food late in the day

Letter: How to prevent further bird flu outbreaks in B.C.

The PETA Foundation has written a series of alternate food options to help stop the spread.

“The best way to prevent future outbreaks of bird flu, which has been found on more than 50 poultry farms in British Columbia since October, is to stop raising birds for food.”

The PETA Foundation has written a series of plant-based options to help stop the spread in this letter to the Times Colonist.

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Millions of birds killed due to avian flu in B.C.

Close up photo of a crowded group of broiler chickens with missing feathers in a factory farm

11 new cases of avian flu in Lower Mainland | CityNews Vancouver

Two new cases of bird flu have been confirmed in Chilliwack by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, bringing the total cases across the Lower Mainland to 11.

“Canadian Food Inspection Agency data show there have been 39 B.C. outbreaks of H5N1 avian flu since Oct. 20, resulting in almost five million birds dying of infection or being ‘humanely depopulated’ to halt the spread of the virus.”

Intensive animal agriculture, where a large number of animals are kept in close quarters under stressful conditions, puts animals at risk of disease spread like avian influenza.

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Where to donate to help Metro Vancouverites, animals in need over the holidays

Where to donate to help Metro Vancouverites, animals in need over the holidays

There are numerous places in Metro Vancouver, BC that are asking for donations leading up to Christmas Day 2023. Find out how to help those less fortunate.

The Vancouver Humane Society, the Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary, and other worthy causes were featured in Vancouver is Awesome! Read the article to find out how your gift can make a difference this holiday season.

“Panago Pizza locations across B.C. will offer plant-based pizzas for $15 with the code PLANT15 on Tuesday, Nov. 28. One dollar from each purchase will be donated to the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) and the Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary. Panago has five plant-based pizzas to choose from.

“Funds support a loving forever home for more than 65 animals at the Happy Herd sanctuary in Aldergrove, which rescues animals from the farming industry. 

“Donated dollars also support vital program and advocacy work at the Vancouver Humane Society, including covering life-saving veterinary care for beloved pets and ensuring they can return to their caring guardians rather than being surrendered to the overburdened shelter and rescue system.

“Members of the community can also donate directly to the VHS and The Happy Herd online. Panago is matching donations made to the Giving Tuesday campaign up to $2,000, and other generous local partners are matching an additional $6,000 in donations.”

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B.C. hog farm accused of animal cruelty after new video released

A pig on a dirt floor stares at the camera

Excelsior Hog Farm in Abbotsford is once again under scrutiny after new footage depicting horrific animal suffering was released by Animal Justice, revealing:

  • dead and rotting pigs, including piglets whose carcasses were partially eaten;
  • crushed and stillborn piglets inside crates;
  • pigs kicked in the stomach and face;
  • pigs jabbed with a metal rod and hit with plastic boards;
  • pigs with hernias, prolapses, blood laceration and open wounds; and
  • water troughs that appear to be filled with feces and blood.

The footage appears to “show some violations of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, potentially the Criminal Code and without a doubt violations of industry’s own subscribed national codes of practice,” according to the BC SPCA.

Content warning: The video accompanying this article contains censored (blurred), disturbing footage.

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